Aircraft Ownership
Seaplanes flood the LSA market
The Seamax M-22.
Seaplanes are flooding (so to speak) into the light sport aircraft market. In addition to the newly approved SeaRey, two additional aircraft are on the way; the SeaMax M-22 and from Italico Aviation, the FX1.
Waiting in the wings is the Icon A5 that has a weight exemption pending before the FAA. All are two-passenger aircraft per the LSA rules. The weight of LSA seaplanes is 1,430 pounds, although Icon officials hope to win an exemption to exceed that weight in return for added safety features, such as a spin-resistant design.
The amphibious SeaMax M-22 is already flying in the marketplace, with 135 units sold. It has a tough Kevlar hull that the manufacturer claims can be landed gear up on land with minimal damage. It is expected to have an 800-pound empty weight.
Italico Aviation recently announced plans to establish an assembly center for its FX1, also in the marketplace overseas, in existing space at Kissimmee Airport in Florida. The company says if that happens, it will hire 55 people. The owner of the company, Eros Spinozzi, was traveling to AirVenture in Oshkosh when he happened to visit friends in Florida and decided on the Kissimmee site. Deliveries will be made to Canada, the United States, and South America from the Florida site.
The Italico Aviation FX1.
December 6, 2012
